Acts 2.2-11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
Reflection
“The Hebrew people, freed from Egypt, was given the law on Mt. Sinai. So after the Passion of Christ when the true Lamb of God was killed, on the fiftieth day after his Resurrection the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles and the community of believers.” (From a Sermon of St. Leo the Great).
Pentecost is the Greek word for fifty: with this feast on the fiftieth day we bring to completion the celebration of Easter. The Christian community throughout the world lives by the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, whom we have received in baptism, but whose fresh coming we implore in every act of prayer and worship.
Collect for Pentecost
Faithful God, who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal:
open our lips by your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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